Owe No One Anything Except to Love One Another

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor fulfills the law…love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

In looking up what it means to “owe” the cross references refer both to debts and to collateral, to holding a security deposit. I think here that Paul is not referring to a monetary debt, rather a spiritual or moral debt. We are not to hold back from doing something good for one another. When we love someone, we will withhold nothing from them. We will go out of our way to please them, to help them, even to the setting aside of our own personal needs at times.

I believe that we are not to let an opportunity to show our love to one another slip by. God considers that a debt. The Catholic Church calls it a “sin of omission”.

I pray that my eyes may be opened to see what my brothers and sisters need and, if it is possible, that I might provide for that need. Many in the church are hurting or in need of help. If we would help one another the way we are taught by the Word, this present world situation would be of no consequence to believers.